


Miracle

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9263057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Alex receives a worrying message from Anne, and rushes to save her.





	

The runes on the stone began to glow, and Alex let out a sigh of relief as she felt the time bubble fully form around her. Maybe this time, she’d get a message other than ‘Pandoric activity high’. Her hands glowing, Alex reached out and touched the runes. Most druids used their wand for this, reading the runes with their eyes, but Alex preferred it this way. She liked the more hands-on approach. And the rush of power flowing from the stone directly into her felt good.

“Alex.” The sound of that familiar voice almost broke Alex’s concentration, but she managed to maintain the connection. “Alex, another druid, anyone, help me. I don’t think I have much longer. I… I’m going to give up. I can feel my strength fading, and I just… don’t want to fight it anymore. I’m tired of fighting. Tired of waiting. I’m just tired.”

“No!” Alex screamed as the connection broke. “No, don’t give up! Don’t go! I’m coming to rescue you, I promise! Anne!” She tried to re-establish the connection, but it was gone. Alex swore, then shivered at the familiar ache in her heart. She was probably too late. But no, she had to try! Just because Anne had given up, just because everyone else had given up, it didn’t mean that Alex had to.

Alex rode back to the winery, somehow able to clear her mind enough to send a coherent text message out to the other three Soul Riders currently on Jorvik.

“Emergency. Come to winery NOW. We’re headed to the Dale. Don’t tell the druids.” She knew that the druids would only stop them. And, to Alex’s relief, the other three were there waiting for her when she arrived at the winery.

“Alex, what’s wrong?” asked Linda.

“It’s Anne,” said Alex. “She’s in trouble, I have to go after her now. Louisa, you can use Sun magic, right?”

“Yeah, it’s the symbol that appears whenever I do magic,” said Louisa.

“Of course they taught you that first, because replacing her is easier than rescuing her,” said Alex. “I knew they gave up on her, but I didn’t give up, I never did.” Her eyes were blazing with fury, and she knew that she was probably glaring at everyone, and she was crying, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Anne needed rescuing.

“Does anyone need to go in with you?” asked Lisa.

“No,” said Alex. “I only need you three to help open the portal and hold it open. Louisa, please tell me you collected the stars that fell over Jorvik months ago.”

“Yes,” said Louisa, nodding. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a smaller sack, which Alex grabbed. The familiar magic of the stars was a comfort. Each star meant five minutes in Pandoria, and there were plenty here.

“Alright, good,” said Alex, putting the stars in her saddlebag. “Let’s ride.”

None of the native Jorvikians looked up as the four women raced across the fields on their horses. Only Ydris glanced up, and only because the amount of magic in the air caught his attention immediately. Those four women held the power to destroy the world and create a new one. He hoped that they had a worthy teacher. Even Ed Field was too busy collecting rocks for his Rocky Road dessert to notice the group as they raced past him.

At last, the four women pulled up their horses in the purple mist of Guardians Dale. 

“Okay, now, all of you, point your wand or hand, whatever you use, at your symbol and cast a spell at it,” said Alex, wiping her palms on her jeans. God, it was hard to see in here, even with Shadow Sight, there was so much magic that it became too bright. But Alex squinted until she found her symbol.

“This feels wrong,” said Louisa, pointing her wand at the sun symbol.

“Just do it and then you won’t have to replace her anymore,” said Alex, blinking away her tears. She steadied her hand, then fired Soul Strike at the lightning rune. It instantly glowed to life, a welcoming green colour. “Now the rest of you. And hurry.”

At last, all four runes were lit and Alex galloped up the stairs on Tin Can and leaped him through the air and into the swirling portal. Bright pink soon became all she could see, and a pain in her chest almost took her breath away. No. Not again.

“Alex,” said Tin Can worriedly as she sagged against his neck. She didn’t know if he was more concerned about her or about his new appearance. Was that a horn?

“Can you feel her?” asked Alex. “I’ll be fine, just find her.”

“I don’t know about this,” said Tin Can. “It may be-“

“Shut up! I know, I just need to find her,” said Alex. Tin Can still seemed concerned, but he trotted off anyway, following Alex’s instincts. The bond was there, but it felt off. Like the person at the other end was unresponsive. Maybe Anne was just sleeping. Maybe. Hopefully.

When Alex saw her, she nearly fell off her horse. In relief, Tin Can thought. But then he felt it. The sense of wrongness, the same feeling that had his rider stumbling out of the saddle and falling to her knees.

“No,” Alex whispered, cradling the lifeless from. A Pegasus stood over her, but Alex didn’t notice him. Tin Can did.

“You’re too late,” said Concorde. He sounded sad. “We all are.”

“No we’re not,” said Alex, looking up at him. “There has to be a way.”

“I can feel it, Alex. I know you feel it, too,” said Concorde. “Anne is-“

“No! Don’t say it,” said Alex, holding Anne closer to her. She felt cold, but maybe she just needed to be warmed up.

Tin Can nuzzled his rider, forgetting about his new form. Alex didn’t seem to pay attention to the new cut on her brow, or the blood spilling down her face and mingling with the tears. But then, she straightened from her position hunched over the lifeless shape on the ground.

“I don’t know if this will work or how this will work,” said Alex. “But it works on people.” Her hands glowed with power, as much as she could muster, and she pressed them to Anne’s chest. Anne’s body jerked and spasmed under the electricity, but then nothing.

“It’s too late,” said Concorde. “She’s too far gone.”

“Shut up! You’re her soul, you should know,” said Alex.

“I do know,” said Concorde. “And I know that she is with me now. She has been for hours.”

“No, this has to work,” said Alex. “Please, just live, Anne!” She sent more power into her, over and over and over again. But still nothing.

“Your power is death,” said Concorde. “But even if it weren’t, only Aideen could bring her back now.”

“And she’s currently inhabiting the body of a girl who doesn’t know much magic yet,” said Tin Can. “Certainly not enough to bring someone back to life.” But Alex didn’t hear him. She’d been busy thinking ever since Aideen had been mentioned.

“Magical properties,” Alex whispered. She turned to Concorde. “Concorde, take me to Aideen’s plaza.”

“What would that accomplish?” asked Concorde.

“The well,” said Alex, standing up and holding her girlfriend in her arms. Anne felt too still, but Alex didn’t want to stop holding her.

“Normally I need Anne to take me there,” said Concorde.

“Well, she’s with you now, isn’t she?” said Alex. “Take me there now! I think I know how to save her.” Concorde looked sadly at her, but then he bowed his head and formed the magic to take them straight there. Portals would have been safer, but there was no time for that. They’d wasted too much time already.

The normally-peaceful plaza was suddenly interrupted by a bright flash and four figures appearing next to the fountain. The unicorn snorted at any who came near, and the Pegasus protected the two young women by forming a shield with his wings.

Behind them, Alex propped Anne up against the outer edge of the fountain, cupped her hands in the water, and brought the water up to Anne’s mouth.

“Drink,” Alex whispered. “Please, drink.” Dead people couldn’t drink. The thought sent pain through Alex, followed quickly by rage.

“What good are you?” Alex screamed up at the statue. “You pick four poor girls, change their lives forever, and then just stand back and watch them die? You could’ve done something, anything! But instead you just stand there, watching us all. Is this fun to you?”

The golden statue stared serenely ahead. But very far away, a woman got her phone out and sent a text message.

“Look at your phone,” said Tin Can.

“No,” said Alex, ignoring him. “No, you don’t care, do you, you selfish bitch? All you care about is that your precious Jorvik is safe. Well it’s not, and it’s all your fault! I don’t care about this stupid land anyway, not when she’s not here. One of its protectors is dead, and you don’t even care, do you?” Alex glared up at the statue again, then picked up Anne and lowered her gently into the water.

“There,” Alex whispered, turning her eyes back up to the statue. “Now her corpse can pollute your precious water, you, you-“ She broke down, kneeling beside the fountain with her head over the water. She sobbed, her heart breaking all over again at the thought that she’d been so damn close to getting her back, and she’d failed.

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered. “I failed you.” There was a gasp, and Alex hoped that nobody was about to reprimand her for soiling precious water. But then there was coughing. What?

And then a wet sound, and a wet hand touching her shoulder, and then Alex was looking up at a miracle.

“Sorry, I’m dripping everywhere,” said Anne. Alex stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was seeing something real, and then Concorde gave an excited whinny and almost knocked his rider to the ground in excitement. Alex caught her, and she knew that this was real.

“You’re back,” said Alex, her voice still choked with emotion.

“Yes,” said Anne, sitting down beside her. “I’m back.” Alex hugged her again, crying tears of happiness this time.

“That water really is magical,” said Tin Can. “I felt it. When your tears hit the water, something happened. All the Pandorian dust in the water sped things along.”

“Oh, it wasn’t her tears,” said Concorde. “It was the blood. That reacted with the magic in the water, and the dust made the water start bubbling around her, and then she woke up.”

“I don’t care how it happened,” said Alex. She would later, when she had time to think. “I just care that it worked.”

“Me too,” said Anne, and finally kissed her. Alex felt like she was back to normal now. Anne was here with her, alive, and damn the consequences. Alex glanced up at the statue.

“Thank you,” said Alex. “Sorry I said all those things.”

“Who are you talking to?” asked Anne.

“She ranted at the statue for a while,” said Tin Can. Alex would find that funny later. So would Anne.

“You’re a unicorn,” said Anne, looking at Tin Can’s new jagged horn.

“So he is,” said Alex, finally looking at him. She touched her forehead. “So that’s how I got this cut.”

“Yes, I tried to comfort you earlier and accidentally cut you,” said Tin Can. “Sorry. I’m going to have to get used to this thing.”

“You have to get used to that, I have to get used to these,” said Concorde, spreading his wings.

Anne and Alex didn’t notice this conversation, nor did they notice the growing crowd around them. They were too busy holding each other.


End file.
